Cardinals Playoff Chances
Arizona's chances rely heavily on Kyler Murray's health.
The Cardinals have to beat the Rams to make the playoffs. That, in theory, is easier with Jared Goff (thumb) out and John Wolford (google him) in. Murray says he'll play, but is he really healthy enough to help? If he's not or re-injures his leg during the game, the Cardinals turn to Chris Streveler (Google him).
If the Cardinals lose, the Rams are in. The only other way the Cardinals get in is with a tie and Bears loss to the Packers.
Cardinals Odds at Rams
The Cardinals have been off the board at points this week, but are sitting at -2.5 as of writing (find real-time odds here).
Bettors are either hopeful that Murray plays or are just willing to bet against Wolford: Our NFL PRO Report shows 90% of bets are on Arizona as of Wednesday.
How the Cardinals Got Here
The Cardinals smashed expectations early. The preseason win total was 7, but Murray was an MVP candidate and Kliff Kingsbury was the a genius over a 5-2 start. Even that stretch had warts with losses to the Lions and Panthers, but a win over the Seahawks covered it up.
Temporarily.
The Cardinals blew a fourth -quarter lead over the Dolphins at home. The Hail Murray saved them a week later against the Bills. Then came a loss to the Seahawks, a loss to the Patriots and a home loss to the Rams.
The latest blow was a loss to the 49ers and third-string quarterback C.J. Beathard.
At 8-7, Murray is out of the MVP conversation and we're still wondering if Kingsbury can make it as a head coach in the NFL. A loss to Wolford is a step closer to answering that.
Cardinals Super Bowl Odds
A healthy Murray is magic and the playoffs would be a great platform for him. But this number shows negative value according to our model, which gives the Cardinals a 1.1% chance at winning the Super Bowl.
